Chapter 429 Deep Water and Deeper Tension

After Wyatt slipped into the water, he didn’t resurface for a long time.

Yunice glanced around, unsure where he’d gone. Seconds passed, then a minute. The surface remained eerily still.

Did he go to the bottom?

Suddenly—splash! Wyatt emerged right beside her, sending water flying.

Startled, Yunice flinched back.

His torso bare, hair slicked back and dripping, Wyatt grinned up at her with careless charm. “Wanna come in?”

Yunice shook her head immediately. “Nope.”

He rested a hand on the pool edge and kept coaxing her. “The problem isn’t the water, it’s people. Try it with me. Maybe you won’t hate it so much after today.”

He held out his hand. “Come on. I’ll hold you.”

Yunice wasn’t falling for it. “You said I didn’t have to get in.”

Wyatt raised a brow. “Did I?”

Of course he had—but he was the kind who never kept his word.

They locked eyes. He didn’t blink. He clearly wasn’t backing down.

She knew arguing was pointless. She stalled. “I’m not wearing a swimsuit.”

Wyatt beckoned lazily. “So?”

Yunice reluctantly removed her agarwood bracelet and set it on the table. She dipped a toe in, testing the water—

Wyatt grabbed her ankle and yanked.

“Wyatt!” she shrieked as she splashed in, thrashing in alarm.

Not a word out of his mouth had been true!

But after a few frantic moments, she realized—she wasn’t underwater.

Blinking in surprise, she looked at him. Wyatt had one arm under her, holding her upright above the surface.

Her clothes were soaked through, clinging tight to her skin. Every movement caused the heavy fabric to shift, rubbing against her in all the wrong ways.

Yunice swiped water from her eyes, exasperated, then turned to Wyatt.

Wet strands clung to her forehead, her lashes beaded with droplets. Wyatt’s gaze followed the water as it slid from her chin down her throat, tracing a path between the curves of her chest where it disappeared into the fabric like it’d been swallowed whole.

His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly. One hand moved under the water, skimming along her body. “Didn’t bring your little gun today?”

Last time, his plans had been derailed by her trusty sidearm.

Yunice knew exactly what he was thinking. Her face stayed calm, but her breathing had gone sharp and shallow.

Wyatt gave her waist a teasing squeeze. “Relax. I’m kidding.”

His voice softened. “How’s the water? Still scared?”

She wasn’t afraid of water. She was afraid of how close they were—how every brush and ripple seemed to spark something electric.

Perched atop Wyatt’s submerged arm, she muttered, “I’m tired. I don’t want to play. I want to go to sleep.”

His intense gaze didn’t waver, but a smirk tugged at his lips. “Alright.”

He helped her out of the pool first, then climbed out himself.

Her entire outfit was drenched, fabric stuck to her in all the wrong places. Her calves were still in the water, skirt floating around her legs, and her pale feet flickered beneath the ripples.

Wyatt pulled his gaze away, went to fetch a large towel, then wrapped it around her from behind.

“There aren’t any clothes up here. Let’s head back to the bedroom.”

Yunice didn’t argue. She returned wrapped in the towel and headed straight for the bathroom.

She needed a shower—badly.

When she finally emerged, Wyatt had already finished his own shower in the room next door.

He sat at ease in a chair, wearing a bathrobe. When he saw her, he tilted his chin toward the bed. “Come here. Lie down.”

In his hand was a beautifully designed bottle—like a piece of art. Inside was a half-filled clear liquid.

She walked over, unsure what he was up to.

“I thought you said you were tired. Let me give you a massage,” he said casually.

Her cheeks colored slightly.

So that bottle… massage oil?

Her mind raced to places it probably shouldn’t—but this time, she didn’t refuse.

Still in her silk robe, she stepped forward, one knee pressing into the mattress, then eased herself down, folding her arms under her chin.

Wyatt’s mood visibly lifted.

He pulled up a chair and sat behind her.

In a light tone, he asked, “Ever had a massage before?”

Of course she had. Most salons offered that kind of thing, and she’d gone a few times to relax her shoulders and neck—but always with female staff.

This was her first time getting a massage from a man.